Where does this idea come from? It is like a pair of glasses on our nose through which we see whatever we look at. It never occurs to us to take them off.

The “idea” in this case was a particular philosophical theory about language. Wittgenstein saying that other philosophers were making use of this idea without realizing it, unconsciously – so he chose the metaphor of glasses, which are always right before us, filtering what we see, even though we’re rarely aware of them.

Perhaps all technology so far has been an extension of the conscious parts of our mind. Computers let us to do the things we consciously choose to do, better. To talk over distances, remember more accurately, see and hear more stuff – on demand.

Google Glass and other smart glasses do all that as well, but I wonder if they’ll soon go one better: they could extend or modify our unconscious mental processes.

Consider, for example, some smart glasses set up to detect anything that looked like a spider in front of its camera, and overlay it with a red flashing box on the user’s display if spotted.

Now, I think this would make you obsessed with spiders. You’d notice them everywhere, and you’d find it hard to concentrate on anything else, so long as you were in front of one. You might like them or hate them, but you would be preoccupied with them, and if you were scared of them, this spider-focus would certainly make matters worse.

Or again, your glasses could analyze the facial expressions of people you meet, perhaps displaying the results (85% happy, etc…) floating above their heads. But what if the algorithm was poorly calibrated, so that it wrongly said that most people were angry at you? How would that affect you over the long run…?

I took these examples from recent psychological theories about the cognitive processes in spider phobia and depression (1,2). The original idea was that it’s some largely unconscious processes in the mind that are (mis)directing attention. But it seems to me that technology could produce the same kind of effects.

These examples are just for illustration. No-one’s going to install an app that does such obvious harm. They show, however, the way in which smart glasses could – unlike existing technology – not just change what we do, but how we see, and therefore how we think.

About Dolly

I’ve recently discovered a great new online resource for art collecting, providing unique tools for educational purposes. Artsy’s mission is to make the world’s art accessible to anyone via the Internet by building the largest public database of art. Artsy

I’ve recently discovered a great new online resource for art collecting, providing unique tools for educational purposes. Artsy’s mission is to make the world’s art accessible to anyone via the Internet by building the largest public database of art. Artsy

My friend Yohan Baillot, Augmented Reality (AR) Director at Osterhout Design Group, recently developed an application for my blog tees. Although AR hasn’t gained wide popularity, it may be the next big thing since the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception

My friend Yohan Baillot, Augmented Reality (AR) Director at Osterhout Design Group, recently developed an application for my blog tees. Although AR hasn’t gained wide popularity, it may be the next big thing since the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception

In efforts to raise funds for the humanitarian aid relief for the May 2014 flood victims in the Balkans, we are teaming up with our friends in San Francisco (Mersiha Salihbasic, Amra Kolenovic and Hooman Moayyed) on behalf of House4Humanity,

In efforts to raise funds for the humanitarian aid relief for the May 2014 flood victims in the Balkans, we are teaming up with our friends in San Francisco (Mersiha Salihbasic, Amra Kolenovic and Hooman Moayyed) on behalf of House4Humanity,

People with high emotional intelligence tend to do better at work. So what habits do they have that set them apart? By Harvey Deutschendorf, Republished from the Fast Comapany It has increasingly become accepted that emotional intelligence is an

People with high emotional intelligence tend to do better at work. So what habits do they have that set them apart? By Harvey Deutschendorf, Republished from the Fast Comapany It has increasingly become accepted that emotional intelligence is an

YOU MAY BE HARDWIRED AS AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT. BUT DON’T WORRY, THERE ARE WAYS TO CHANGE HOW OUR BRAINS WORK. By Belle Beth Cooper, Republished from the Fast Company One of the things that surprises me time and time

YOU MAY BE HARDWIRED AS AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT. BUT DON’T WORRY, THERE ARE WAYS TO CHANGE HOW OUR BRAINS WORK. By Belle Beth Cooper, Republished from the Fast Company One of the things that surprises me time and time

Alright, smarty pants–you’ve got the brain power, but what about emotional intelligence? Learn to diffuse anger, listen with empathy, and decode unspoken feelings; your coworkers will thank you. By Harvey Deutschendorf, Republished from Fast Company It takes a wide

Alright, smarty pants–you’ve got the brain power, but what about emotional intelligence? Learn to diffuse anger, listen with empathy, and decode unspoken feelings; your coworkers will thank you. By Harvey Deutschendorf, Republished from Fast Company It takes a wide

Want to be more creative? Sometimes it’s just a matter of giving yourself the space to think, writes Bruce Nussbaum. Everyone can learn to be more creative, but to become very creative, I’ve come to believe you need to lead

Want to be more creative? Sometimes it’s just a matter of giving yourself the space to think, writes Bruce Nussbaum. Everyone can learn to be more creative, but to become very creative, I’ve come to believe you need to lead